The Unlabeled
by Adventurelife
Summary: Corruption finds its way into the British government, putting Mycroft Holmes, a minor British official at risk. With his life at risk, the eldest Holmes hires an unlikely personal aide. The question remains, "Who is friend and who is foe?"
1. Chapter 1

Autumn had arrived in London, with a sharp bite to the wind and icy rain. Early morning fog curled around her feet. Adiya Fortune loved and hated it all as she turned up her collar against the rain. Her blue, discount umbrella hung by her side, nearly as broken up as her bank account. She ducked her head, avoiding the increasing wind.

A quick glance confirmed that the road was safe to cross. Lazily, her eyes drifted to a dark car half a block away. She scurried towards the waiting cafe, there was enough in her pocket from an odd job to buy a treat. Sharp blue eyes danced back to the paused car as she stepped in front of her destination. Her gut gave a strange jump.

It was a typical London street, as far as she could tell. Cabs flitted down the road, people brushed past her on the sidewalk, sirens off in the distance. Normal. That was the best way to describe it, at least to everyone else. That car nagged at her mind, she casually surveyed her surroundings.

The figure of a gentleman under a black umbrella caught her attention. Her gut tightened again. Something in her mind screamed that he wasn't the type to be out and about in the chilling rain. Again, her eyes darted to the suspicious car. She carefully shifted to get a better view of the vehicle. A window was down, something glinted. The world slowed, something clicked loudly in the air. They were trying to shoot the "umbrella man," her mind supplied!

Her hand shot out, the bullet skinned the man's forehead and clattered to the ground in front of him. Adiya's heart flew into her mouth, she turned on her heel and darted into the waiting cafe. She couldn't let the man notice her. Shakily she ordered a large tea, with plenty of sugar to stave off the shock.

"_He didn't see anything Adiya...Not a thing." _Trembling legs lowered her into a seat tucked into the furthest crevice of the place. Even her thoughts were shaky.

Outside, the umbrella man, Mycroft Holmes wiped away a trickle of blood. His keen eyes spotted a nearly perfect bullet at his feet. Curiosity loomed in the back of his mind. He needed answers. Tires screeched in his ears, the perpetrators had already left the scene of the crime. Mycroft frowned, his security team needed a dressing down.

Nimbly he texted the head of his security as he strode into a bustling cafe. A cup of tea would sit nicely after such an incident. It was a frequent haunt of his, though most times it was only a takeaway order.

The entire cafe was crowded, most people were chattering away and only one seat was available. He was about to ask permission to share the table when the occupant stood abruptly. The unassuming blonde hurried past him and into the unforgiving elements. Mycroft paused, there was something strange about her. Collecting his tea and pastry, the British government strolled outside. It was time to start his work day.

When one is an important government figure it becomes second nature to know everything. Mycroft was the utmost expert on all events relating to politics and his brother of course. His personal matters tended to simmer on the backburner at times. That is how his attempted assassination became the last order of business of his day.

After a stern reprimand to his security people, the eldest Holmes had retired to his home. Loosening his tie he began to address the attempt on his life. It wasn't unexpected, he had multiple enemies. Collecting his computer he began a meticulous viewing of CCTV footage. His frown deepened the more he watched. There was no excuse for the negligence of his security. He paused, someone on the inside had been paid to turn a blind eye.

He could almost bring himself to delete the footage of the assault. Something stopped him, he hit the replay button. The video backed up five minutes before the shot was fired. Attentive eyes zoomed in on the screen once more. He was sure that he was missing something.

Mycroft watched the video two more times before he finally noticed what he'd overlooked. In the background he spotted the unassuming woman from the cafe. His eyes narrowed and everything clicked into place. He pulled up the video recording that was closer to her location. Carefully he compared the time frame of when the shot was fired, when the bullet fell in front of him and when the blonde had thrown out her hand. Mycroft paused, it was highly improbable… someone who could manipulate a bullet at will.

In all honesty he was skeptical, but most people would be skeptical about such a happening. He leaned back in his chair and stared at the feed once again. A quick call and he could have her brought in for questioning. The woman was an unknown, Mycroft Holmes did not like the unknown. She was a factor that was implausible, uncontrollable and confounding. He needed answers so he would get them, one way or another.

Keeping your head down is the best course of action when you aren't normal. This was a fact that Adiya knew better than most. Her job was a nondescript one, by choice, the dull brown wig was a choice as well as her dull brown contacts. All of her clothes were ill-fitting and dull colors. It was all a ruse. She tapped away on her computer and quietly berated her foolhardy move the week before.

Something had possessed her to ditch her disguise and go for a treat at that little cafe. She regretted it wholeheartedly. Perhaps that one slip up would spell her return to the past, she flinched at the thought and shifted further down in her seat. Her stomach had been churning since she stopped that bullet. Never before had she been so grateful for her job as an archive librarian. The underground workplace was a bit drafty and musty, but she was safe and out of sight, until now.

"Hey, Elle, mind running some copies of this file?"

"Oh...umm, sure." Adiya cringed internally at the false name. It was foreign on her ears. She grabbed the file from her coworker and headed towards the stairs.

The only problem with working in archives was that the copy machine was on an upper floor, five flights up. Unfortunately, the ancient building had no elevator. Heaving a sigh she started the long trek. All she wanted was normality, to shed her scratchy wig and be Adiya again. Her jaw tightened at the thought of her real name, she shook her head. No, Adiya was dead to the world. She'd dug through the archives and found her own obituary and burned it. Every scrap she could gather about her disappearance she destroyed, there was no other choice.

Shoving the memory of who she was, she bent her head to look more like Elle. The frustrated woman shoved open the office door with more force than necessary. Muttering mentally she shuffled over to the printer and began her task.. She let the hum of the printer wash over her soothing her frazzled nerves. Closing her eyes she waited on the machine to finish its work. The door of the office clicked open behind her, the sound drowned out by the machine.

"Miss Morris."

Adiya felt the color drain from her face, she reached shaking hands out to collect the printed pages. The lingering warmth from the paper bit into her icy skin. Steadying her hands she slipped the fresh copies into the file. She wet her suddenly dry lips and straightened her spine. Wrapping her courage around her she turned to face an intimidating man in a stiff black suit.

"Yes?" She pulled the file against her chest.

"My employer would like to speak with you."

"I'm sorry, I already have a job."

"He did not make it an option. My employer is rather busy."

Adiya swallowed nervously throwing an agitated glance at the man. He was rather tall and his frame easily filled the doorway. There was no escaping him without revealing herself. Her heart dropped into her stomach.

"I need to return this file."

A stiff nod was her only reply as she slipped past him. She wanted to run as fast as her heart was racing, yet she controlled herself. This was the end, she knew it. Quietly she slipped back to the archives and delivered the file.

"Sophie, I'm not feeling well," She faked a cough.

"You look awfully pale! I can cover this shift by myself. You can head home." Sophie frowned at her coworker and motioned for her to get a move on.

Adiya smiled weakly and left the room. She had to plan an escape...There was a exit for the basement. It was a long shot, but she had to try. Trembling from head to toe she crept towards the exit. Panic was settling firmly into her mind. Who was after her? She couldn't afford to find out, she tugged on the door. _Creak..._The door squealed open and she slid outside into the cool air. Sighing she darted through the empty alley towards a cab waiting nearby.

A rush of blood pounded in her ears as she tumbled into the cab and rattled off her address. Plans rushed through her mind, she had to leave London. Hot tears pricked her eyes and she stoically choked them down as the cab halted outside her flat.

"_Out of time...out of time! Found you, someone found you!" _Her thoughts were a jumble.

"Hey, you getting out?"

"Oh, I'm sorry." She quickly paid and staggered out of the cab.

"_So little time…" _

She had fallen in love with her little flat. It was an older style but it reminded her of home. Now she would have to abandon her shaky little life. Elle Morris would disappear without a trace. Adiya marched up the stairs and hurriedly shut the door behind her. Two suitcases made their way onto her bed. A rush of adrenaline fueled the fugitive as she began gathering her meager belongings. Furtively she glanced around the flat for a final time. Nothing was left except the furniture. Bitterness burned her throat recognizing how painfully easy it was to erase her existence. She switched to a black wig and slipped into a loose black dress. Elle was gone...No one would realize that she'd ever lived in the tiny flat.

Suitcases in hand she slipped out of the flat and towards the cab she'd called. It was time to make her get away. She'd nearly made it to the cab when it lurched away from the curb and a sleek black car pulled up. Her heart stuttered and she grasped the handles of her suitcases more tightly. The window rolled down and instinctively she glanced towards the car. This was it.

"Miss Morris, do get in the car." A smooth voice filled the air.

Fear flitted through her eyes and involuntarily the window rolled up of its own accord. She ran without thinking. Whoever the man in the black car was, he wouldn't catch her, he couldn't.

Mycroft had tracked her down, it had been more difficult than he'd planned. He'd sent one of his people to collect her from her workplace. Oh, she was clever, much more than a goldfish. She had quickly slipped from the assigned agent, exactly as he'd hoped. He wanted to see where the skittish woman would run. The agent had taken over a cab that was called to her home...then he'd called Mycroft. He'd watched her glance at the cab in fear and then towards his car as he pulled up beside her.

The most startling occurrence was seeing her skill at work. He'd rolled the window down and requested her to get inside. She'd reacted instinctively and rolled the window up of her own will. He'd felt himself pause in surprise, only for a second before he tapped into the video feed tracking her. She was searching for another cab. He smirked slightly, a good game of cat and mouse was always so amusing.


	2. Chapter 2

It was all a ruse, she'd found out the hard way. She'd ran as long as she could before finding a cab. Sighing she slid into the back of the cab with her suitcases. She'd finally found safety, relief washed through her. Limbs shaking she leaned her head back and took a shallow breath. All she had to do was make it to the airport.

"_I'm.. I'm going to make it!" _A shaky sigh escaped.

_Click! _

Her eyes snapped open, panic flooded her. She went to yank open the door, she wasn't afraid of jumping out of a moving car. Locked. Her gut twisted sickeningly. She clawed her way to the opposite door only to find it shut tight. It had been a clever trap. Frantic she lifted her suitcase and slammed it against a window, it bounced off.

"Where are you taking me!?" Her voice was shaking as she tried to get the driver's attention.

She hadn't noticed before but they were separated by a glass. The air seemed to turn stale as she slammed her fist against the barrier. Things were beginning to swirl and close in around her. Both fists slammed against the glass a second time, power surged through her hands shattering the glass. Involuntarily the driver swerved as the wheel jerked in his hands. Shakily Adiya twisted her hand sending the cab swerving back and forth. She wasn't in complete control of her power, that was certain, but she was desperate. The driver wrenched the wheel sending the cab back into the correct lane. Her head smacked against a window with a resounding crack, the world went black.

Her head felt like a building had been dropped on it. Shaky fingers glanced along her temple, something wet trickled down the side of her face. The metallic taste in her mouth signaled that her encounter with the cab window hadn't ended well. Squinting past the harshness of light she watched as the cab pulled into an abandoned warehouse. Bile bit into her throat, things were going from bad to worse.

Anxiously she waited for an opening, maybe she could make a run for it. The door opened with a slight groan, she might have warped it with her power. Swallowing down the taste of blood she slipped from the cab. Shaking she steadied herself against the cab and glanced around the dim warehouse. Barely summoning courage she stumbled away from the car. A few steps away and she heard the cab roll away. In a rush she turned, she knew she was well and truly trapped. The only vehicle was gone and the doors to her current prison were shut tight.

Everything went dark, no sounds no sights. The fugitive shivered as her senses kicked in, her eyes adjusting to the dark. She could see the warehouse clearly. A few crates in the corner, she paused.

_Swish, tap, swish, tap. _

Someone was coming, she heard someone moving outside the building. No weapons except her powers. The blonde scoffed mentally. She was too afraid of herself to even begin using them. True, she had used them to shatter the glass in the cab and roll the window up. Instinct, that's what it was. She hated how fear had been controlling her moves. Head still throbbing she glanced towards the sound of a door opening. Heartbeat pounding in her ears she took a step forward. Light flooded the warehouse, from front to back all at once as her power surged reacting to her fear.

Her capture stood before her. The umbrella man, she berated her rotten luck. He'd recognized that something was amiss with the attack. One hand was curled around an umbrella handle the other rested casually in a pocket. She had the sudden urge to shoot him. He was looking at her as if she was a specimen. Sudden courage surged through her. If she was going to die in a warehouse she'd make her kidnapper suffer.

"Quite impressive." A lazy smirk touched his face. "Miss Morris, if that is your name."

The longer he spoke the more she wanted to shoot him. Fear twisted through her like a snake, the lights flickered dangerously. She inhaled shakily and turned angry eyes on him.

"Elle Morris," he paused, "You're quite the enigma."

She sized him up. There was more to him than met the eye, the air around him smelled like danger. It was the strangest _skill _by far, being able to sense things beyond normal sensations. Quietly she rolled his words over in her mind. He was baiting her, he knew more than he should.

"No social media, not even a phone." He lifted his umbrella to look at the end. "You have no friends, no relatives...not even a pet." The man took a step closer. "Obviously a fugitive of some sort."

Adiya shuffled back a step. Anger and terror made her clench her fist. A light burst nearby showering the floor with glass. Mycroft paused glancing at the skittish woman.

"I found you rather easily after the incident with the bullet. You are not as elusive as you think."

"What do you want?" Her voice was much calmer than she felt.

"Answers. You see, I don't like the unknown."

"If you tracked me so easily you'll have answers soon enough."

"Of course, but I hate time consuming and I'm a busy man."

"I don't answer to kidnappers."

"Oh, but you entered the cab quite willingly I believe."

"Why do you want to know about me?"

"I know most things about you."

"I doubt that."

"Adiya Deanna Fortune, age twenty four, born in Sussex, rather high IQ." Mycroft looked boredly at her. "Entered into Oxford at age sixteen. Four years ago you disappeared without a trace. My brother was rather interested in your case for some reason."

"What...what do you want?"

"To hire you."

"What?" She felt tired all at once.

"I believe I was quite clear."

"You kidnapped me to offer me a job? I'm clearly on the run and you want to hire me."

"I might could help with that."

"What are you? The head of the British Government."

"I hold a minor position." Mycroft's eyes gained a rather annoyed look.

"Minor? What exactly does a minor government official need with… me?"

"You'll see." A thin smirk touched his face.

She wasn't sure what to think as she slipped into the black car after her would be employer. Potential freedom had been extended to her and it was a dizzying thought. This _minor official _was offering her a chance to be Adiya. She shifted nervously and glanced at the suited man. He was cold at first glance but she knew from experience that a well chosen wardrobe and a practiced face could fool the droves. Her words piled into her mouth vying to break free.

"What do I call you?" The dam burst at last.

"Mr. Holmes when dealing with business; however, I believe you are entitled to call me Mycroft." He paused as if considering an anomaly. "You did save my life."

"Very well, Mycroft. You're rather sure that I'll accept your offer."

"It's your only option. If you face your pursuers without my aid you are incapable of will reveal yourself to the entire world. I don't believe you want that."

"You sound awfully smug." She narrowed her eyes.

"No, simply assured of my deductions. With you in my employee it becomes easier to allow you to deal with… distasteful situations. I know many influential people."

"What do you get from this little arrangement?"

"I've been having issues with my security."

"Really?"

"I would believe the bullet you stopped would have been point enough. Please don't insult my intelligence by suggesting that you were not involved."

Adiya's teeth clicked together painfully. He was a bit of a prick, she narrowed her eyes at him. She hated being manipulated, most of all she hated smug manipulators. It seemed that Mycroft Holmes was a smug master of manipulation.

"I'm to be a glorified security agent."

"A personal aide." He looked her directly in the eyes. "You'll need a better wardrobe."

She bristled under his gaze, the entire interview was making her feel like a bug. Stiffening her spine she refused to cave under his gaze. If he wanted to start a game of intimidation she'd play. Her pride snarled under the edges of her skin. She'd put up with far too much the past four years.

"I assume you feel the need to choose for me?" Her tone was surprisingly cold.

"I have little time to shop for women's clothing; however, if you feel that your choices will be inappropriate I have people that can arrange for new things."

"I'm quite capable. I assume you will be arranging for a flat."

"It's already settled. Will there be anything else?"

"Working for you will be a joy. I can already tell." Her tone was cutting, quick, and dry.

Mycroft felt his lips twitch subtly. She looked like she was regretting stopping the bullet. He'd never admit it but he thoroughly enjoyed causing people discomfort, he was rather adept at it. The determined glint in his new employee's eyes along with her unmoving gaze reassured him about his deductions. He was rarely wrong about deducing a person's character and he felt certain that Adiya would be a valuable addition to his inner circle. She was unassumingly normal looking, he supposed she would be considered attractive, but that was of no concern. What mattered most was how she could best blend into the background. Unassuming and unseen assets were the best to have within a moment's notice. Yes, she would serve his purposes well.

She most certainly did not like Mycroft Holmes. Fifteen minutes after the initial car interview and she wished she could control time. Gritting her teeth she tugged off the black wig and tossed it to the side. Disguises were a nuisance that she was glad to be rid of. Her gut told her that she wouldn't be needing any wigs in the future, it was the only joy she was taking from her new position. Anger twisted in her gut like a snake. Just who did Mycroft Holmes think he was? He was ordering her life and she did not like it. It seemed that he was used to getting his way. She felt the sudden need to make things difficult for him. The indignant blonde thrust a hand out causing Mycroft to slam back further in his seat than was humanly possible. Carefully she focused on stopping his mouth from moving. He was still and watching her with icy eyes.

"Let's make one thing very clear, Mr. Holmes." She took a steadying breath. "I've been manipulated for four years and I won't allow it any more. This job is on my terms. I protect you and you protect me. If you cross me… I'll do what it takes to protect myself. I'm not afraid to take a _minor _official down with me." She let out a shaky breath and released her control over him.

"Point taken." An annoyed look glinted in his eyes. He had underestimated her and yet he couldn't bring himself to blame her for such a harsh warning. There was more to her story than he initially thought.

"I believe we can work together with this understanding in mind." She let her shoulders sag a little revealing how much the four years of running had weighed on her.

The lost look on her face reminded him that she had effectively been dead for four years. It made him pause, she had been off the radar for a long time and yet he felt moderately safe around her. He gripped his umbrella and sent her a stiff nod in understanding. Eventually he would get the full story, after all he always got what he was after.


End file.
